Communication Lab

A. Concept & Story

The story is about the internal conflict behind the glorious appearance that the character creates to foul others. The entire story will be a first-person narrative of different characters – switching between the protagonist and the people around her. We base our narrative on our personal experiences.

B.   Creation Process & Execution

1. The acquaintance in the library – Sees the protagonist as a vibrant and optimistic character with the protagonist in bright-colored clothing (colorful, stable, low angle shot). Transition: bright pink pen as part of the time stamp and shown throughout the interaction scene. (9:00)
2. Interaction with a teacher – Conversation mentioning the protagonist is a good student and has a scholarship. The vanity. A diverse character with many hobbies the protagonist is good at (cut montage shots of character singing, playing piano, playing frisbee, etc). Transition: stickers on the laptop as the background of timestamp and leads to a montage of characters’ hobbies
3. Conversation with the best friend – talk about the internal conflict, and friend shows understanding (intensify the guilt of the protagonist). Transition: friendship bracelets as a symbol of close gap (0:00)

C. Collaboration

We planned that Crystal will perform as the protagonist, Isabel will perform as the best friend character, Eva will perform as the teacher character, and Eva will mostly take on the cameramen role. To avoid the distinctions in styles of editing, we plan to have Crystal and Isabel edit the footage together.

D.  Aesthetics & Results

We are going to use the camera, stabilizer, sound recorder. We want to enhance the contrast through color correcting on the different perspectives – monochrome during the protagonist’s monologue, and colorful in other people’s narratives. The color and style of the protagonist’s clothing are going to represent the persona that other people see.

Project Title: ME/me

Team Members: Isabel Yang, Crystal Zhang, Eva He

Concept | Storyline:

       1). Who are you going to interview? Or What is the piece (article, poem, story) for the narrative voice-over?  

We base our narrative on our personal experiences.

       2). What’s the story about?  

The story is about the internal conflict behind the glorious appearance that the character creates to foul others. The entire story will be a first-person narrative of different characters – switching between the protagonist and the people around her. 

We planned to shoot our project in five scenes:

1. The protagonist at home – the internal conflict of getting up and the unpleasant life situation (black and white, without stabilizer, low resolution, lose focus, overhead shot)

Place metaphoric items into a bag

*Extreme Close Up on the protagonist’s facial expression (eyebrow and mouth)

1. The acquaintance in the library – Sees the protagonist as a vibrant and optimistic character with the protagonist in bright-colored clothing (colorful, stable, low angle shot). Transition: bright pink pen as part of the time stamp and shown throughout the interaction scene. (9:00)
2. Interaction with a teacher – Conversation mentioning the protagonist is a good student and has a scholarship. The vanity. A diverse character with many hobbies the protagonist is good at (cut montage shots of character singing, playing piano, playing frisbee, etc). Transition: stickers on the laptop as the background of timestamp and leads to a montage of characters’ hobbies
3. Conversation with the best friend – talk about the internal conflict, and friend shows understanding (intensify the guilt of the protagonist). Transition: friendship bracelets as a symbol of close gap (0:00)

Place metaphoric items into a bag

1. Back to bed – back to a more intense internal conflict (black and white, a sense of alienation, lose focus, overhead shot)

Here is our character list:

• Protagonist  – Crystal
• The acquaintance in the library – still deciding (Owen?)
• The teacher – still deciding 
• The friend – Isabel

       3). Which part of the story are you going to focus on? 

We want to focus on an extensive presentation of contrasts:

•    The first-person perspective of other people when approaching the protagonist vs. the first-person perspective of the protagonist’s herself
•   The pursuit of adore from other people vs. the self-consciousness
•   The protagonist at home vs. the one outside

       4). What kind of style/aesthetics are you going to pursue?

      We want to enhance the contrast through color correcting on the different perspectives – monochrome during the protagonist’s monologue, and colorful in other people’s narratives. The color and style of the protagonist’s clothing are going to represent the persona that other people see.

1. Execution Plan: 

       1). What equipment are you going to use when shooting the movie? (cell phone, DSLR camera, sound recorder, stabilizer..)

We are going to use the camera, stabilizer, sound recorder.

       2). Which locations will it be shot at? When is it? Day time/night/unknown? Why?

We are going to shoot it mostly during the day. We are going to shoot most of the scenes at either of our homes. The scene where the protagonist interacts with the acquaintance will be shot in a library (not the one in NYU Shanghai).

       3). What are some challenges you might encounter and how will you prepare?

Since our project will largely focus on the emotional changes of the protagonist, we might not be able to deliver the emotions effectively. The transitions between each scene talking about the interactions between the protagonist and other characters might not be as smooth as desired. The contrast that we hope to create might also be not as clear and impactful. Thus, we will prepare the solutions while designing the screens in storyboard drafts. We will also take more shots from different angles to explore the best way of expression.

       4). How will you collaborate? How will you divide work? (Gantt Chart)

      Currently, we planned that Crystal will perform as the protagonist, Isabel will perform as the best friend character, Eva will perform as the teacher character, and Eva will mostly take on the cameramen role. To avoid the distinctions in styles of editing, we plan to have Crystal and Isabel edit the footage together.

  Storyboard Draft

Gantt Chart*

 

Concept 

The main memory I chose for the assignment was when I was six years old when I was born in Spain. The first thing I was exposed to was Spanish culture. My mother thinks I have to learn Chinese because I’m Chinese. Finally, she decided to send me back to Chinese school. On the day of departure, I thought I would go out and have fun preparing my belongings. A few days later, I woke up to find my mother gone. After that day, I couldn’t sleep at night. All I can think about is my mom reading me a bedtime story. Every day is different, and I need it to help me fall asleep. But I sobbed in the middle of the night so grandma wouldn’t worry about me. I always thought my mom abandoned me, but as time went by, none of that mattered. My main focus is to convey the feeling of memory to my audience because the space I create is peaceful. It gives the audience a lot of imagination to guess what’s going on and discuss my thought process.

Process

My whole process was to create a kind of a quiet day to start with, and then there was a kind of airplane noise in the middle. To cry in silence again, and finally, their memory began to become blurred slowly. I use a lot of water, and I think my tears are the same as the water in the sink or the water down the toilet. It’s hard to take it back after another outbreak. To others, it might just be the routine of a particular day, but to me, every time it sounded like a typewriter, it was a new scene. This sound is like the beginning of my journal notes. In the middle, if you listen carefully, there will be some airplane noise. Then came the sound of me tearing tissues as I sobbed, expressing my silent despair. In the end, the memories faded, and it was the best arrangement for me right now.But I think the biggest challenge for me is that everything I hear is so peaceful, there’s not a strong climax. And I decided to preserve that feeling of needing to dig deeper.

Conclusion

If I had more time to improve my project, I would listen to some of the feedback others gave me on demo day. Professor said that all my audio comes from a very close distance, and It would be better to add more sounds from a long distance. This will make the whole imagination space more three-dimensional and rich.

Image of Audition

1. Steyerl talks about how the “unbroken belief” of the documentary form is challenged. What does Steyerl mean by this? Certain movies and films are based on a true story.  How does truth inform fiction? How might fiction inform the truth?

Steyerl talks about how the “broken belief” of the documentary form is challenged. He means that many films don’t reveal the truth directly, but more their emotional impact. When humans magnify their empathy, they overlook some of the images and effects of the film itself. We only believe what is accurate, not the truth itself. For example, I know that movies are based on a true story called Hope. With child sexual violence as the theme, it tells the story of family members and the characters around them in desperation to heal the victims. The story is true, but the composition and Angle are more critical. Fiction tells the truth by using its “unshakeable faith” to trigger and exaggerate the viewer’s emotions and make us believe things that are not true.

2. What is the significance of the authenticity and representation of the truth in the media that you consume on a daily basis? What is the role of a live broadcast?

In the media that I consume daily, the significance of authenticity and representation of the truth tells us things around the world. We only believe and pay attention to what happens around us because seeing is believing. The power of the media can make us think things that are far away. The role of a live broadcast gives us a chance to know what is happening. It’s available to humans in a very accessible way, and we can communicate with strangers in real-time. It also satisfies our curiosity and makes us more likely to believe the unthinkable.

My first sonic memory was when I was six years old, probably where I’m different from most people. I was born in Spain, and the first thing I was exposed to was Spanish culture. My mother thought we had to learn Chinese because we were Chinese until my sister was in primary school in Spain. She chose me over my sister and decided to send me back to Study Chinese. Since I was young, I thought flying would take me out to play and happily prepare their things to take. When I arrived in China, it was grandma who picked me up. My mom was there translating for me because I couldn’t understand what grandma was saying.

A few days later, I woke up to find my mother gone. After that day, I couldn’t sleep at night. All I could think about was my mom reading me a bedtime story. Every day is different, and I need to rely on it to help me sleep. But I sobbed in the middle of the night, so my grandmother wouldn’t worry about me. At school, I would always run behind my neighbors because I couldn’t speak Mandarin. I go wherever she goes as a sense of security. Not only do I know school every day, but also the teacher has been asked to tutor me at home. When the doorbell rings, IT is also my most fearful time. I become timid and dare not speak.

I always thought my mom abandoned me for four years when I was a kid, from kindergarten to elementary school. I’ve only seen my mother three times, and I think she’s slowly becoming a stranger to me. But when I look back on it now, I am full of thanks to her. If she hadn’t made that decision, I wouldn’t have become so independent. I wouldn’t know how brave I was if she hadn’t made that decision. If it hadn’t been for her decision, I wouldn’t be proud of being Chinese.

                                        

       Name of Project: Dad’s hobbies         

Concept and Design

After I received the theme of this project, I began to look for something still life. Then on the table at home lay some film, cigarettes, and coins belonging to my father. I took the first picture with the combination of my bag and hairpin and made some artistic arrangements. Then I wanted to get together with my father, and those two hobbies were my father’s favorite hobbies. I just heard my mom say she gave up some of the hobbies of her youth when she had me, and I wanted my dad to know that his daughters could grow up and start living for themselves.

Process

         

Part I: I took lots and lots of pictures from different angles in the exact placement. What surprised me was that the color palette of the photos looked so retro, bringing my father back to that time. The color of the cigarette is the same as the color of the film. When I wanted to express this piece, I didn’t want to focus on one point. I made each object reveal its most special issue throughout my shot, and the version I finally selected also had different angles. I think this picture covers all the meanings of the object.

                                                       

Part II: My original idea was to connect me with my father, so I used my large hands to join us. First of all, I blurred the original photo with Photoshop special effects and turned it into a piece to express the film’s impact. Then I used the film of Part I to highlight those memories that had passed and let the audience follow it as a leading line in this way. As for my father, the reason for quitting smoking is to protect me, so I take up cigarettes to prove that my daughter has grown up and can take responsibility for herself.

Conclusion

If I had more time to improve, I believe it would be to dilute the background again. Making the previous content stand out will help the whole picture to focus quickly. 

1. What does Ritchin mean by the “fluidity of the digital”? （Give an example of digital imaging/digital photography that exemplifies this.）

This “fluidity of The digital” means that electronic pixel technology and software invention can change The structure and shape of images. Make even the most traditional photography unreal. Take me, for example. I’m a person who likes to take pictures and post them on social media, but I’m not happy with some of my quirks. Sometimes it is a long pox on the face; sometimes it is their eating more fat… At this time, I used Photoshop to help me edit to my satisfaction, indicating that after editing by specialized software, the photos become no longer accurate and reliable. Many companies now use their features to entice consumers to buy.

2. Reflect on the extent to which photography is capable of capturing reality; and compare it to other media (technology) (e.g. text, video, virtual reality, books).

I think photography captures reality better than any other medium. For example, books and texts are only vividly expressed through language technology, but they only leave readers a huge imagination space for their understanding. A video could be edited to deliberately cut out some main scenes to induce the audience to go in different directions. Only photography is visually impactful and can feel the message and focus of the whole set.

                                                    

                                                  Title of Music: Bad Guy

                                                 Artist Name: Billie Eilish

Concept and Design

I remember hearing it on the car radio on my way to school when I was 16. I thought the song was new and memorized “Bad Guy” in the chorus, so I downloaded it at home. The intro to the music has a strong drumming sound like a heart, followed by a hand beat and the rhythm. In the middle, the rhythm of the song changes and repeats the bad guy. The second part is a very distinctive breathing sound repeated. I feel the sense of darkness and pressure brought by this song also inspired the design of rhythm. I would use a lot of black and intermittent motions to design my sound visualization poster.

Process

                                     

I first heard the music and found out that she was the same age as me, 16 or 17 years old. I think that’s a big difference, and the first word that comes to mind is contrast. I used the word of contrast in three different ways. The main goal is to create the rhythm of the drum to show the characteristics of the song. And the use of black as a background color as dark wind.

Conclusion

If I had more time, I would deal with the bottom contrast in more detail. Because now this word is still too prominent, the reader needs to guess to be more interesting.

                 

When I first came into contact with aliens, it was clear that establishing communication with them would be extremely difficult. Because we are entirely different from them in terms of body structure, and it is inevitable that some of their sounds are unutterable by human articulators. Other sounds are indistinguishable to the human ear. In this case, we had to use a sound spectrometer to understand what the aliens were saying. When I wanted to introduce an existing system or technology of Earth /human culture to aliens, the first thing that came to my mind was the Food chain. In an ecosystem, various organisms must feed on other organisms to maintain their life activities. Of course, this is not the way to communicate with aliens, so we used microphones, sound spectrometers, portable computers, speakers, and the pictures I prepared for aliens to explain the food chain.

In the photo, I used a very abstract method to show the structure and structure of an essential food chain. First, I will represent two animals by two sounds on the spectrogram and point out the corresponding positions in the picture. And then explain to them that one of the relationships of the food chain is that the eagles eat the bunnies at the top of the food chain. Then play the second paragraph of the spectrogram, which describes the rabbit’s sound as the same as the previous one, and you can see that the rabbit is in this food chain again. When the third spectrogram goes on, three new sounds represent three of the animals in another food chain. This time it’s birds eat snails and bugs, and snails and bugs eat grass and create a cycle. This feeding relationship is the transfer of solar energy from one organism to another, the way material energy flows and transforms through the food chain.

The number of organisms at different stages of the food chain is relatively constant to maintain a natural balance. According to their role in the movement of energy and matter, they can be divided into three fundamental ecosystems: producer, consumer, and decomposer. Popularly speaking, it is a series of eating and being eaten relations between various organisms that closely link one creature to another. The sequence of food nutrition relations between such organisms is like a chain called the food chain in ecology. The ultimate consumer is man, who not only eats meat at all levels but also eats plants. As a result, the boundaries between nutrient levels are not clear. A complex food web is an essential condition for maintaining the stability of an ecosystem. It is generally believed that the more complex the food web, the stronger the ability of the ecosystem to resist external disturbance, and the simpler the food web, the more likely the ecosystem is to fluctuate and destroy—many other important aspects of the food chain, such as energy flow and material circulation between organisms. If the food chain is deliberately destroyed, the consequences will be unimaginable!